clark



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. H. CLARK.

POOL REGISTER. I

Patented July 29, 1890. 1 1.

vewtoz James E. Glaflv 3331 4W a ibi/1401 0 A J H CLARK SSheets-Sheet 2.POOL REGISTER.

v (No Model.)

No. 433,117. Patented July 29,1890.

avwwto'c Jiimea 1f. Clank- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 No Model.)

J. 'H. CLARK.

POOL REGISTER.

Patented July 29, 1890.

awpemtoz Ozark K nllg gk UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. CLARK, OF WESTERN, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ROSWELLO. EASTMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

POOL-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,117, dated July 29,1890.

Application filed November 15, 1889- Serial No. 330,410. (No model.)

To all whom itvnay concern.-

Be it kn own that 1, JAMES H. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vestern, in the county of Saline and State of Nebraska,

have invented a new and useful Pool-Register, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has relation to a register and apparatus for registeringthe nu mber of games played upon pool-tables, and among the obro jectsin view are to provide aregister adapted to be operated at eachreplacing of the spotting-frame.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear,and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an interior view of a portion ofa billiard-room in which is located a pool-registering deviceconstructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is adetailinlongitudinal section of the register. Fig. 3 is a transversesection of the same. Fig. at is a detail in perspective of'the springtake-up and spotter-frame support.

2 5 Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 6 is avertical transverse section. Fig. 7 is a detail in perspective of thespotterframe-supporting rod.

Like numerals indicate like parts in all the 0 figures of the drawings.

1 represents the ceiling of a room, and from the same, directly overthat end of the pooltable upon which the balls are spotted, there dependfour rods or supports 2, said sup- 3 5 ports terminating at their upperends in eyes 3, through which are inserted screws 4 for securing therods to the ceiling.

5 represents an annular collar or socket 'open at both ends, and to theupper end of 40 the same there are secured the lower ends of the rods.

6 represents a triangular or, it in ay be,ot-her shaped box or case, andfrom the upper end or apex of the triangle there projects ablock 7,having an internal bore 8 throughout its length, in the upper end ofwhich there is mounted an inverted-T-shaped rod 9, the upper end of therod projecting through and above the end of the block and provided withperforations 10, and the lower T-arms projecting laterally from theblock at each side thereof and through vertical slots 12. The upper endof the block is tapered and secured within the socket supported by therods 2, and the casing is therefore suspended directly over thepool-table. Vithin the casing there is mounted for rotation a drum 13,actuated by a coiled spring ll, and to the drum is secured one end of a.cord 15, the opposite end being passed through a perforation 16, formedin thebase of the casing, and to said end is secured an ordinarytriangular pool-ball-spotting frame 17, which is adapted to be drawndown and placed upon the table for the purpose of spotting the balls inthe usual manner, and in being drawn down unwinds the spring-actuateddrum against the tension of the spring. A button 18 is secured to thecord at a suitable distance above the spottingframe, whereby the amountof cord rewound after the spotting operation is limited by the buttoncoming in contact with the casing. After the operation of spotting thespottingframe is hung upon either one of the arms projecting from theT-rod, and the weight of the frame serves to lower the rod in the boreof the block.

19 represents the register-case, and the same is in this instancerectangular and provided with a removable cover 20, and at its side witha dial-plate 21, suitably numbered, and in the case there is journaled atransverse shaft 22, one end of which projects through the dial-plate,and upon the samo'is mounted a pointer 23. Upon the shaft there ismounted a disk 24, fixed to the shaft and having at one side of itsperiphery a ratchet or toothed flange 25, the remainder of the peripherybeing plain, as at 26, and the face of said disk is provided with anannularly-aro ranged series of laterally-projecting pins 27.

A longitudinal bar 28 extends across the upper end of the casing, and abracket 29 proj ects from the inner wall of the said casing, and in thebracket and bar there are formed 5 bearings 30, and in the bearingsthere is mounted loosely a shaft 31, from which projects a hammer 32,and at a right angle thereto there depends from the shaft anactuating-arm 33, said arm depending in the path of thelaterally-projecting pins. The shaft upon which the disk is mounted isin this inregister.

stance screw-threaded, andthe disk is perforated at its center andthreaded on the shaft, and at each side of the disk there is mounted inthe shaft a pair of jam-nuts 34, whereby the disk is held at the desiredpoint and turns with the shaft. From the longitudinal bar there dependsa fiat spring 35, the terminal of which bears upon the plain portion orperiphery of the disk, and mounted in the bar and bearing upon the uppersurface of the spring is a set-screw 36, serving to force the springupon the periphery of the disk, whereby the latter is maintained underthe desired tension. 37 represents a similar bar located near the lowerend of the register-case and vertically opposite the upper bar. Slots 38are formed in both bars and in line with each other, and in the slotsthere is mounted a plunger-rod 38, to the lower end of which there ispivoted an upwardly-projecting pawl 39, which by a spring 40 has itsfree end normally meshing with the teeth of the ratchet. A spring 41 ismounted upon the red, the lower end of the same being supported by adisk 42, the upper end of said spring terminating against the undersurface of the upper longitudinal bar, said spring having a tendency tonormally maintain the plunger at the lower end of its stroke, and sothat the operating end of the pawl is under the shoulder of a tooth. Theupper end of the plunger-rod extends through the removable cover of thecasing and terminates in an eye or perforation 43.

The register described may be located at any suitable point in abilliard hall or room, and usually convenient to the cashiers desk,whereby the same may be inspected when it is desired to settle for thenumber of games played.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In order to spot the ballsat the commencement of the game, the spotting-frame is removed from thesupporting-arm or Taod, the upper end of which is by a cord or wireconnected to the upper end of the plunger-rod of the register, said wireor cord 45 being sup ported at proper intervals by pulleys 46, securedto the wall or ceiling. The spottingframe is now lowered to thepool-table and performs its usual function of assembling the balls, thetake-up paying out the cord for this purpose. After the balls have beenspotted the spotting-frame is raised and replaced upon either one of thearms of the T-rod, the slack of cord connecting the frame with thetakeup being rewound by the latter. 'When the frame is removed from thearm of the T-rod, the spring upon the plunger of the register serves toraise said T-rod and to lower the plunger, so that its pawl engages thenext suc ceeding tooth of the ratchet of the disk of the lVhen the frameis replaced upon the T-rod, the weight of said frame is sufficienttomore than counterbalance the strength of the spring, and thus theT-rod is lowered and the plunger-rod is elevated, raising the pivotedpawl and rotating the ratchet-disk one tooth, and in so doing rotatesthe shaft upon which the disk is mounted and moves the pointer onedegree upon the dial, thus indicating that a game has been played. Asthe disk is rotated one tooth, the laterally-projecting pins, one ofwhich is located opposite each of the teeth of the ratchet of the disk,comes into contact with it and passes by the dependin g arm of thebell-hammer shaft and permits the hammer to fall by gravity and sound abell 46, secured to the inner wall of the register, and thus notify theplayersand cashier that the balls have been respotted for another game.In this manner any number of games may be registered.

The rear end of the transverse shaft of the register is provided with amilled nut 47, by which the shaft may be rotated and the dial broughtback to the starting-point after the table has been desert-ed by one setof players, and the recorder is then in position to register the gamesof the next succeeding set of players.

If desired, the mechanism of the recorder may be duplicated any numberof times, thus serving to register the games of a series of tables, eachtable being likewise provided with a take-up and spotting-frame, as willbe readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I elaim 1. The combination, with thedepending standards secured to the ceiling, of a case rig idly securedto the lower ends thereof, provided with a perforation at its lower endand a spotting-frame support mounted for sliding in the case, aspring-actuated drum mounted for rotation in the case, a cord wound uponand having one end secured to the drum and passed through theperforation, a spottingframe secured to the opposite end of the cord, aregister, and a cord or wire leading from the operating mechanismthereof to the said sliding spotting-frame support, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination, with depending standards secured to the ceiling anda collar connecting the lower ends of the standards, of a casingterminating at its upper end in a block fitting the collar and securedtherein, a spring actuated drum mounted in the casing, a cord wound uponand secured to the drum, and a spotting-frame connected to the oppositeend of the cord, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the depending standards or supports terminatingat their up per ends in screw-eyes, screws connecting the standards tothe ceiling, anda collar connecting the lower ends of the standards andserving as a socket, of a triangular case provided with a blockat theupper end of the same and fitted and secured within the collar, a drumactuated by a spring mounted in the case, a cord having one endconnected to the drum and the opposite end passed through an opening inthe case, and a spotting-frame ITO connected to the cord, said cordbeing provided with a button for limiting the amount of cord taken up bythe drum, substantially as specified. I

4. The combination, with a register mechanism comprising a reciprocatingrod for operating the same, of a case, a spotting-framesupporting hooksliding in said case, a cord connecting the same With the rod of theregister, and a spotting-frame mounted on the supporting-hook andadapted to depress the same and operate the rod of the register,substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with a register comprising a reciprocating rod foractuating the same, and a spring for reciprocating the rod in onedirection, of the spotting-frame -support connected to one end of thecord, the opposite end of which is connected with the rod of theregister, and an independent spotting-frame adapted to be mounted on thesupport and to depress the same and operate the rod of the registeragainst the tension of its spring, substantially as specified.

6. The combination,with aregistercomprisin g a reciprocating rod, and aspring for operating the same in one direction, of a spring actuateddrum or take-up, a spotting-frame support mounted for vertical movementin the upper end of the casing of the same, a cord connecting thesupport with the operating-rod of the register, a cord Wound upon thetake-up and passed through its casing, and a spotting-frame connected tothe opposite end of the cord and adapted to be mounted upon its supportto depress the same and raise the operatingrod of the register againstthe tension of its spring, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with a support comprising a reciprocatingsupport-actuatin g rod,

of supports secured'to the ceiling and terminating in a socket, atake-up frame having an internally-bored block at is upper end, slottedand mounted in the collar, a T-shaped rod mounted in the bore and havingits arms projecting through slot-s, a cord connecting the rod with thatof the support, a spring for normally depressing the support, and thuselevating through the medium'of the cord the T-shaped arm, and atspotting frame mounted upon one of the arms and adapted to conterbalancethe spring and raise the rod of the support, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with a register-case, of a shaft mounted therein, adial mounted on the case, a pointer mounted on the shaft and moving overthe dial, a disk mounted on the shaft and having a plain peripheryprovided at one side with a ratchet-flange, a flat spring bearing on theplain portion, a bell-shaft located above the disk and having an armdepending into the path of a series of pins projecting from the disk, ahammer extending from the bell-shaft and a bell located in the path ofthe hammer, a reciprocating bar having a spring for normally depressingthe same, a pawl pivoted to the rod and meshing With the ratchet of thedisk, a spotting-frame support adapted for vertical reciprocation andconnected with the rod, and a spottingframe mounted on the support andadapted to depress the same and elevate the rod against its spring,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES H, CLARK.

\Vitnesses: O. M. QUAOKENBUSH,

ADAM BUCHER.

